Dingle Part IV

I would like to take a minute in honor of Memorial Day

to thank all of those who gave so much for our freedom.

As you can see I did a lot of painting in the Dingle area.

This painting has a bit of  a story. I read in my Rick Steves Ireland book that there was a lighthouse in Dingle that you could walk to, and he gave directions to get there. The book said it was about a 45 minute walk one way which seemed doable. So I went off with my backpack and painting supplies.

Of course it was a windy day and cold...but it looked like it wouldn't rain. After the first two turns it told you to climb over the steps by the Coast Guard building and follow the pathway along the ledge along the water in the harbor. It did not tell me that I would have to climb through a slatted fence (luckily I fit) or that I would be walking through a cow pasture for part of the trip with many cows having lunch. I did pass some lovely views of a tower up on a hill too.

When I got to the lighthouse I sat down on my tripod stool and started painting. By the time I was nearly finished, I had my scarf wrapped around my head because it was so cold, and I was wearing my earmuffs and my gloves. It was a pretty spot. I loved the brick wall and the posts on the left.

Walking back wasn't too bad because the wind was to may back. But there was a section that was downhill that was very muddy and along the side of a cliff. My balance isn't good normally and here I was walking with my very overstuffed backpack on slippery, muddy rocks...but I did it!

Paudie's Bar and B&B was one of the typical colorful buildings down by the harbor.

I tried to sketch a view down one of the main streets in Dingle. 

All those cars made me crazy since I don't like sketching cars.

This was the view from Blue Zone Jazz & Pizza.

Our table had a rooftop view.

This was a great store where I searched and searched for a non-wool Irish sweater. They had the prettiest sweaters but nothing I could wear...not even most of the scarves.

It did make a nice spot for sketching.

Dingle Part II

The buildings in Dingle are colorful and quaint. This group of buildings is called An Caladh, or the Colony. There are several shops including the Dingle Music Shop.

I sketched one evening at the An Droicead Beag, a triaditional Irish pub that has traditional music. We got there too late to get a table in the front room where the musicians were. I liked the look of the arched entrance and all the people watching the musicians play.

At the edge of the town on the way to Slea Loop Drive that went around the tip of the peninsula was an interesting stone bridge. Everything on the hillsides was wonderful greens. I passed this area every morning when I went walking.

Down the street from the house we were renting there was a fenced area with sheep. They were so cute and interesting to watch.

Dingle Part I

Dingle is located in County Kerry, north of the Ring of Kerry. It is a small town but you can drive along the coast for miles along what is known as the Dingle Peninsula. There are a lot of historic attractions along the route. I was more interested in the colorful town, the sheep, and the pubs. lol

This is Dingle Harbor. There are a lot of fishing boats and the backdrop is the wonderful green countryside broken by rock walls and shrubs and the colorful houses.

This is one of the colorful cafes in the town itself. Don't you just love the pink?

One day we went for a ride along the Dingle Peninsula. I read that the road around is one-way and I can well understand the need for that since in spots two cars can't pass side by side, never mind a car and a tour bus. There are windy, hairpin turns, enough to make you think "this wasn't such a good idea" about driving there. However, the one-way rule was not in force during the off season. My husband, Jerry, said he was going to have an ulcer after being in the car there. There were a number of scenic pull-offs where we were able to park and I could sit outside of the car. This is a view of some of the islands off the coastline.

This was also painted along the coastal road. I don't understand why the sheep just don't roll down the hillside. There were sheep everywhere and I just loved them. Luckily these sheep were fenced in and not roaming around on the road.